Riverside Apartments by Huntington Metro - distance to metro (Richmond: rentals, condos)

[virginia1234]

Does anyone have any information on how long it takes to walk from Riverside Apartments to the Huntington metro? I've spoken to their office and they said there is a shuttle that runs during the morning / evening hours to the metro station, but I was wondering how long it takes to walk it. Is it safe to walk to the Huntington Metro from the apartments? Also - how crowded do the shuttles get in the morning / evening?

Any information would be appreciated - thanks very much.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by virginia1234

Does anyone have any information on how long it takes to walk from Riverside Apartments to the Huntington metro? I've spoken to their office and they said there is a shuttle that runs during the morning / evening hours to the metro station, but I was wondering how long it takes to walk it. Is it safe to walk to the Huntington Metro from the apartments? Also - how crowded do the shuttles get in the morning / evening?

Any information would be appreciated - thanks very much.

I used to pass by Riverside almost everyday while riding the bus to the Huntington Metro station.

It would be a 10-15 minute walk from the gate entrance of Riverside to the Metro. I would anticipate no issues during the day and very little late at night. If ever in doubt, there are several buses and taxis at the Metro that you could take from its south entrance for a five-minute ride back to Riverside.

[pcity]

From what I hear, there's sometimes people loitering at the 7-11 on Huntington Ave. late at night and that makes some people nervous. That said, I haven't heard of an incident where someone has gotten mugged by said loiterers.

It might feel a little deserted an uncomfortable late at night around there though. I agree with Tone509 that during the day or evening is fine and you'll have plenty of company.

[DownEastB]

I walked it once during the daytime (the shuttle wasn't running then) while pulling a rolling suitcase. Took about 15 minutes, didn't get bothered by anyone. Took the shuttle back in the evening and it was close to full but not packed. Very pleasant trip. If I lived in that area again I would definitely consider Riverside Apts. The building my b/f lived in (3) was very quiet.

[DCNY]

Are there any condos/thownhouse around Huntington Train Station that are 10-15min walk? Safe area ? bus service near by?

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by DCNY

Are there any condos/townhouse around Huntington Train Station that are 10-15min walk? Safe area ? bus service near by?

The Midtown Alexandria condos are directly across the street from the Metro. Traveling south on Huntington towards Richmond Highway/Rt. 1. There's also an older condo complex directly north. As you travel south on Huntington Ave. towards Richmond Highway/Rt. 1, you'll see another smaller older condo complex - this one may be the least desirable - then a newer TH community both on your left, followed by a TH community on the right next to the Huntington Gateway apt complex. Around the corner south on Rt.1 is the Montebello condo community which has a shuttle bus running to the Metro.

[lackadaisi]

I lived in Riverside almost 10 years ago. At that point, the shuttle to the metro was pretty reliable, and it wasn't a bad walk, but I certainly would not have walked it after dark as the 7-11 area is just not good. The bigger problem, however, is the property and management itself. Throughout my 20s, I lived in probably 7 different places in the area, and this is the only one that I still think and read about. It was an absolutely terrible experience for so many reasons. They tricked us in to moving into a unit with cardboard in place of the balcony for 3 months (had us move in sight-unseen at the end of the day on a Saturday and when we ran back down, they were gone), there was jackhammering on the roof starting at 7AM, there were drug busts in our hall, the ceiling leaked, a tree fell on my car, the balcony door (once it was put back on) was faulty so as to lock me outside on the top floor during a hurricane, etc. All of this was a long time ago, so it should not be used as direct evidence of the current situation. However, because of our crazy problems, I still read up on the property, and it doesn't seem like much has changed. It is a good amount of space for the money, but I would encourage you to research it thoroughly before you take the leap.

[lackadaisi]

Originally Posted by DCNY

Are there any condos/thownhouse around Huntington Train Station that are 10-15min walk? Safe area ? bus service near by?

I lived in a duplex on Fairview Terrace many years ago that was a really wonderful rental. Less than 10 minute walk to the metro, easy to get into Old Town, good backyard and quite economical. The neighborhood isn't the fanciest, but we really did like it. We only moved out because of changing circumstances. In fact, even though I rented it 12 years ago, it is still rented by friends of ours. Separately, another friend of mine rented another townhouse in the area and had a similar experience. In my opinion, that neighborhood of townhouses has best bang for the buck in the area in terms of rentals. (On the other hand, I would hesitate to buy the properties in that neighborhood due to flood concerns).

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by lackadaisi

I lived in Riverside almost 10 years ago. At that point, the shuttle to the metro was pretty reliable, and it wasn't a bad walk, but I certainly would not have walked it after dark as the 7-11 area is just not good. The bigger problem, however, is the property and management itself. Throughout my 20s, I lived in probably 7 different places in the area, and this is the only one that I still think and read about. It was an absolutely terrible experience for so many reasons. They tricked us in to moving into a unit with cardboard in place of the balcony for 3 months (had us move in sight-unseen at the end of the day on a Saturday and when we ran back down, they were gone), there was jackhammering on the roof starting at 7AM, there were drug busts in our hall, the ceiling leaked, a tree fell on my car, the balcony door (once it was put back on) was faulty so as to lock me outside on the top floor during a hurricane, etc. All of this was a long time ago, so it should not be used as direct evidence of the current situation. However, because of our crazy problems, I still read up on the property, and it doesn't seem like much has changed. It is a good amount of space for the money, but I would encourage you to research it thoroughly before you take the leap.

I'm sorry to read about your experiences. I have a friend who lived there for several years and would have probably stayed if not for the opportunity to take over a family home.

On the good side, most residents I encountered appeared to be white-collar professionals. Perhaps this was different during your time there. Also, there have been a number of building renovations, including a new "town center" with a fitness center and media room.

On the bad side, the security guards aren't consistent with the procedure of calling up residents or checking IDs when guests arrive at the gated entrance. I have also heard of occasional car break-ins as well.

So Riverside isn't perfect but it appears to be improving. It's definitely a good midpoint option between Huntington Gateway and Belle Haven Towers.

[rgb3]

If you can swing Huntington Gateway, I highly recommend it. I lived there for a couple years and really enjoyed every aspect of it.